Gabon’s President, Ali Bongo has sacked his Vice President and his Forestry Minister.
No reason was given, but the move comes in the wake of a timber smuggling scandal.
There have been calls for the resignation of the Forestry Minister, Guy Bertrand Mapangou, after the disappearance of a large amount of kevazingo wood.
Kevazingo is rare and considered sacred but prized in Asia for sculpting.
Earlier this year, five thousand cubic metres of the precious timber were found falsely labeled in depots belonging to Chinese companies.
It was seized but hundreds of containers have since disappeared.
